The Roundup: Headline News for Week 16

This is the moment I’ve been waiting for ever since I discovered this fascinating world of fantasy football six years ago:  For the first time ever, my brother’s team is in the fantasy finals.  I can’t recall a time when I felt this nervous and excited.  I’m nervous because his opponent has the scariest team, but I’m also very excited because, as we all know, when it comes to NFL, anything can happen on any given Sunday (or Saturday in this week’s case) so there’s always hope for the underdog. If your team is going for that championship trophy or the third-place finish this weekend, congratulations and best of luck!

 
You can also scratch your competitive itch by playing in our Start/Sit Challenge or Beat the Expert Championship. Both are FREE and we’re giving away a minimum of $1,500 this week. Get your entry in now since the games start on Saturday! Now onto this week’s headlines…

Wide Receivers:

A.J. Green is expected to start this Saturday against the Cardinals despite the shoulder injury he suffered during last week’s game:  According to CBSSports, Green, who leads all NFL rookies with 1,006 total receiving yards this season and is clearly the Bengals’ top receiving threat, should be considered a high-end No.2 fantasy WR for this week, as Arizona is permitting an average of 22.1 fantasy points per game to opposing receivers this season.

Anquan Boldin is out for the rest of this regular season with a knee injury:  According to Rotoworld, we should expect the Ravens to take an extremely run-heavy attack against the Browns this week, with Torrey Smith serving as the clear No.1 option on passing plays.  Boldin’s absence in the next two weeks could also mean more targets for Lee Evans, who will replace him in the starting lineup according to CBSSports.

Stevie Johnson is likely to be active for this Saturday’s game against the Broncos despite being limited in practice this week with a groin injury:  With at least 75 receiving yards in three of his past four games, Johnson should be considered a high-end WR2 this week against Denver’s 20th ranked pass defense according to Rotoworld.

Mario Manningham‘s status for this Saturday’s game against the Jets remains unclear due to his lingering knee injury:  Manningham has been held out of practice all week, and  Rotoworld believes he could end up as a true game-time decision.

Johnny Knox is out for the remainder of this season with a lower back injury sustained during last week’s game:  Earl Bennett, Roy Williams and Dane Sanzenbacher will finish out the year as the Bears’ top-three wideouts according to Rotoworld.  The Bears will face the Packers in Green Bay on Sunday Night Football this week.

Running Backs:

Chris Johnson is expected to be active this Saturday against the Jaguars despite an ankle injury:  Johnson was limited in practice this week, but as long as he does not experience additional soreness on Friday, Head Coach Mike Munchak expects Johnson to start on Saturday.  Coach Munchak also added that the backup Jamie Harper would be ready for 10-15 carries if needed according to CBSSports.

Cowboys are hopeful Felix Jones will be on the field this Saturday against the Eagles despite his hamstring injury:  According to CBSSports, while Eagles are a favorable matchup on paper, this injury means there is some risk to starting Jones, who should be considered a No.2 fantasy RB this week, if he’s active.  Also, Dallas is reportedly planning to promote Chauncey Washington from the practice squad, so Rotoworld notes that while Jones may end up starting the game against the Eagles on Saturday, Sammy Morris and Washington would likely carry the load if the Giants beat the Jets in the early game.

James Starks is expected to return to action on Sunday night against the Bears after missing the last two games with an ankle injury:  Splitting carries with Ryan Grant and often giving way to John Kuhn at the goal-line, Starks shouldn’t be considered more than a low-end flex play for the fantasy finals this week according to Rotoworld.

Quarterbacks:

Ben Roethlisberger has been ruled out for Saturday’s game due to his ankle injury:  Charlie Batch will make the start for the Steelers in Big Ben’s absence.

John Skelton is expected to start this Saturday against the Bengals while Kevin Kolb continues to recover from his most concussion:  Skelton should be considered a No.2 QB option this week against a Cincinnati team that is allowing 15.14 fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks this season according to CBSSports.

Colt McCoy will miss his second straight game this Saturday against the Ravens with a concussion:  Seneca Wallace, who threw for 226 yards and a touchdown while filling in for the injured McCoy last week, will get another start this week.

Bears will start Josh McCown over Caleb Hanie on Sunday night against the Packers:  The Packers are yielding 19.4 fantasy points per week to opposing quarterbacks, but McCown remains just a desperation fantasy start according to CBSSports.

Tight Ends:

Anthony Fasano‘s status for this Saturday’s game against the Patriots remains uncertain due to a mild concussion:  Charles Clay would likely pick up snaps if Fasano can’t play this week according to Rotoworld.

Jake Ballard will likely sit out this Saturday’s game against the Jets with the knee injury suffered during last week’s game:  Bear Pascoe is expected to replace the injured Ballard in the starting lineup this week.

Scott Chandler is expected to return to action this Saturday against the Broncos after missing the last two games with an ankle sprain:  With Lee Smith out for the remainder of this season with an ankle injury suffered during last week’s game, the Bills could certainly use Chandler this week, but according to CBSSports, Chandler should be considered at best an injury-risk No.2 fantasy TE.

That wraps up our Roundup for this week.  Happy Holidays to everybody and good luck this weekend!

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